Grown Not Made®

Heinz® Ketchup Retires the Pickle from its Label after 110 Years

The gherkin pickle, which has been featured on Heinz® Ketchup labels since the 1890s, is making way for a vine-ripened tomato and a tagline that clearly communicates that the tomatoes in Heinz® Ketchup are Grown Not Made. This label change underscores our commitment to quality and superior ingredients, and highlights the true hero of our iconic brand, the tomato.

Nurtured from Seed to Bottle: The Importance of Heinz Tomatoes

Since the 1930s, Heinz researchers have been developing proprietary tomato seeds through the HeinzSeed program, from which only the firmest, juiciest, freshest tomatoes are grown for Heinz® Ketchup. Only a select group of trusted farmers, who adhere to Heinz's high-quality standards, are chosen to grow Heinz® Ketchup tomatoes from Heinz® seeds. These partnerships span several generations and nearly four decades.

History of the Heinz Pickle

Although pickles were one of the first products Heinz produced, there are no pickles in Heinz® Ketchup. How did this deli staple end up endorsing the brand for more than a century? It began in 1893 when
H. J. Heinz decided to use a "pickle pin" to attract attention to his booth at the Chicago World's Fair, the nation's largest food show and exhibition at that time. The pins were so popular that the attendees were lining up to get one. A simple marketing gimmick became part of the history of America's most iconic Ketchup brand.

The new label emphasizes Heinz's heritage as the world's largest processed tomato company with a deep dedication to tomato quality from seed to bottle.

Total Transparency from Seed to Plate

Every part of a Heinz® Ketchup tomato's journey, from seed to vine to bottle, is chronicled in a code on the cap. From the code, Heinz can tell the farm where the tomatoes were grown, where the Ketchup was bottled and even what variety of Heinz seeds were used.

Discover Heinz's Dedication to Tomato Quality

A Unique Recipe

From the Organic, Reduced Sugar and No Salt Added varieties, to the iconic 14 oz. glass bottle and the latest Fridge Fit™ bottle, Heinz® Ketchup delivers the taste that consumers know and love in a variety of choices.

Pure Food. Pure Good.

Heinz has been heavily involved in government food laws and was an original advocate for the adoption of The Federal Pure Food and Drug Act established in 1906, which made sure food was labeled correctly, among other food safety measures.
Also, Heinz was the first company to manufacture non-benzoated Ketchup, free from chemical preservatives. Heinz makes sure that only quality ingredients are in all of its products.